Stoner 63A Commando: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Weapons of Vietnam]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;text-align: center;width:90%"
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! rowspan=2 | [[Bayonet]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Bayonet]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Rifle Grenades]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Rifle Grenades]]   
! colspan=2 | Reload Speed
|-
|-
|33||×2.5 = 82.5||×1.2 = 39.6||×1.15 = 37.95||×0.8 = 26.4||×0.75 = 19.8||NO||NO  
! Partial!! Empty
|-
|33||×2.5 = 82.5||×1.2 = 39.6||×1.15 = 37.95||×0.8 = 26.4||×0.75 = 19.8||NO||NO||2.66 Seconds||3.233 Seconds
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! rolspan=2 | [[Weight]]
! rolspan=2 | [[Weight]]
|-
|-
|[[Mark 23 Mod 0]]||[[LMGs]]||Auto||800 RPM||9.43° & 2.62° [[ADS]]||0.935||991 m/s||12.3g (189.8gr)||12.3 kg (27.12 lbs)   
|[[Mark 23 Mod 0]]||[[LMGs]]||Auto||800 RPM||9.43° & 2.62° [[ADS]]||0.935||991 m/s||12.3 g (189.8 gr)||12.3 kg (27.12 lbs)   
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! rowspan=2 | Full name  
! rowspan=2 | Full name  
! rowspan=2 | [[Ammo Type]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Caliber]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Place of Origin]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Date]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Date]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Armory]]   
! rowspan=2 | [[Manufacturer]]   
! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length
! rowspan=2 | Barrel Length
! rowspan=2 | Total Length
! rowspan=2 | Total Length
! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Weapon Script Name]]
|-
|-
|Stoner 63A Commando||5.56mm||USA||1963|| Cadillac Gage <br>Knight's Armament Company ||15.7 in (398.8 mm)||36 in (913 mm)||weapon_stoner63
|Stoner 63A Commando||[[5.56mm]]||[[USA]]||1966|| Cadillac Gage <br>Knight's Armament Company ||15.7 in (398.8 mm)||36 in (913 mm)||weapon_stoner63
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The Stoner 63, designed by Eugene Stoner, is an innovative modular weapon system developed during the Vietnam War era. Its versatility allowed it to be configured as a rifle, carbine, light machine gun, or even a vehicle-mounted weapon. Its lightweight design and ability to quickly change configurations made it ideal for jungle warfare conditions in Vietnam, where mobility and adaptability were crucial. Despite its promising features, production and deployment were limited, and it didn't see widespread use due to various factors including cost and reliability issues. However, its legacy as a forward-thinking firearm design continues to influence modern small arms development.


=HISTORY=
'''The Stoner 63A Commando''' is a compact “commando” configuration of the U.S. 5.56×45mm [[Stoner 63]] modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner. It is best known for providing a shorter, handier Stoner 63A setup intended for special operations and close-range jungle fighting, while retaining the system’s shared receiver and modular parts commonality.
After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner, renowned for his military small arms designs, conceived a modular weapon system adaptable to multiple configurations. Collaborating with Cadillac Gage's Howard Carson in Costa Mesa, California, Stoner developed the system, which was built around a common receiver with interchangeable parts. The first prototype, the Stoner M69W, was completed in 1962, followed by the Stoner 62. The focus later shifted to the smaller 5.56×45mm cartridge, leading to the production of the Stoner 63 in 1963.
 
==HISTORY==
 
After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner developed a modular weapons system built around a common receiver with interchangeable components that could be reconfigured into multiple roles. Early prototypes were completed in 1962, and production Stoner 63 weapons in 5.56×45mm began in 1963, with Cadillac Gage as the manufacturer. U.S. testing found reliability and durability issues, leading to an improved production standard—**Stoner 63A**—introduced in 1966.
 
The **Commando** configuration was one of the shortest shoulder-fired setups in the Stoner family, intended for users who prioritized compactness and mobility. In Vietnam, the Stoner 63/63A system saw limited adoption rather than wide standardization, with U.S. Navy SEALs the most commonly documented combat users. Period photos and later historical writeups frequently associate SEAL platoons with Stoner 63A weapons in multiple configurations, including short-barrel “commando” variants carried for raids and riverine/amphibious missions. Despite strong niche appeal, overall complexity, cost, and maintenance demands limited broader issue, and the system was gradually replaced by later platforms over subsequent decades.


Despite initial interest and adoption by the U.S. Marines for trials, the Stoner 63 faced reliability issues in Army tests, leading to the improved Stoner 63A in 1966. Further enhancements were attempted in the XM207 variant from 1969 to 1971, including modifications to improve firing rates and structural integrity. However, the project was ultimately discontinued in 1971 after U.S. military priorities shifted following the Vietnam War withdrawal announcement.
===Sources===
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_63 Stoner 63 | Wikipedia
* https://smallarmsreview.com/the-stoner-63as-earliest-days-in-combat/ “The Stoner 63A’s Earliest Days in Combat” | Small Arms Review
* https://www.forgottenweapons.com/stoner-63a-automatic-rifle-the-original-modular-weapon/ Stoner 63A (background and context) | Forgotten Weapons


A small number of Stoner 63 and 63A units were used by U.S. Navy SEALs in Vietnam, but by the late 1980s, the system was phased out in favor of newer designs like the M249 SAW.
<br>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_63 SOURCE]
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<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
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  <div style="text-align:center; font-weight:bold;">Real-Life Photos</div>
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File:WKhRBxB.jpeg
File:WKhRBxB.jpeg
File:Stoner64COM.jpg
File:Stoner64COM.jpg
File:5o4endc38l0a1.jpg
File:5o4endc38l0a1.jpg|Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
File:ElRvmps.jpeg
File:ElRvmps.jpeg
</gallery>
File:Navy-SEALs-Foxtrot-One-Team-Vietnam-1-1024x770.jpg|Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
 
File:1584800349 stoner-63-lmg-vietnam-greg-2.jpg
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Latest revision as of 08:08, 24 February 2026

Factions Weapon Icon Classes Ammo

US
Stoner 63A Commando		 Gunner
 150 / 30
Damage Base Headshot × Chest × Stomach × Leg × Arm × Bayonet Rifle Grenades Reload Speed
Partial Empty
33 ×2.5 = 82.5 ×1.2 = 39.6 ×1.15 = 37.95 ×0.8 = 26.4 ×0.75 = 19.8 NO NO 2.66 Seconds 3.233 Seconds
Designation Weapon Type Fire Modes Fire Rate Bullet Spread ° Range Modifier Muzzle Velocity Projectile weight Weight
Mark 23 Mod 0 LMGs Auto 800 RPM 9.43° & 2.62° ADS 0.935 991 m/s 12.3 g (189.8 gr) 12.3 kg (27.12 lbs)
Full name Caliber Place of Origin Date Manufacturer Barrel Length Total Length Weapon Script Name
Stoner 63A Commando 5.56mm USA 1966 Cadillac Gage
Knight's Armament Company		 15.7 in (398.8 mm) 36 in (913 mm) weapon_stoner63


The Stoner 63A Commando is a compact “commando” configuration of the U.S. 5.56×45mm Stoner 63 modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner. It is best known for providing a shorter, handier Stoner 63A setup intended for special operations and close-range jungle fighting, while retaining the system’s shared receiver and modular parts commonality.

HISTORY

After leaving ArmaLite, Eugene Stoner developed a modular weapons system built around a common receiver with interchangeable components that could be reconfigured into multiple roles. Early prototypes were completed in 1962, and production Stoner 63 weapons in 5.56×45mm began in 1963, with Cadillac Gage as the manufacturer. U.S. testing found reliability and durability issues, leading to an improved production standard—**Stoner 63A**—introduced in 1966.

The **Commando** configuration was one of the shortest shoulder-fired setups in the Stoner family, intended for users who prioritized compactness and mobility. In Vietnam, the Stoner 63/63A system saw limited adoption rather than wide standardization, with U.S. Navy SEALs the most commonly documented combat users. Period photos and later historical writeups frequently associate SEAL platoons with Stoner 63A weapons in multiple configurations, including short-barrel “commando” variants carried for raids and riverine/amphibious missions. Despite strong niche appeal, overall complexity, cost, and maintenance demands limited broader issue, and the system was gradually replaced by later platforms over subsequent decades.

Sources

Real-Life Photos
  • Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
    Navy SEALS X-Ray Platoon. Taken on a dock near Ben Tre in Southeast Vietnam. The SEAL in the center of the group, Lt. Michael Collins, is carrying a Stoner 63A1 Mk 23 Mod 0 Commando with a short 15.7 in (398.8 mm) barrel. Lt. Michael Collins, KIA March 4th, 1971. Photo credit: US Navy.
  • Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
    Navy SEALs of Foxtrot Platoon with their weapons, including multiple Stoner 63 rifles. (Photo: US Navy SEAL Museum)
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